The calf muscles in the back of your lower leg are small but important. They are the primary muscle group for forward and upward propulsion during fundamental movements such as walking, running, stair climbing, cycling and jumping.
“Keeping these muscles engaged and healthy will assist in maximizing performance in sports that involve running and jumping as well as maintaining independence for the functional tasks of walking and stair climbing.” Dr Jinger Gottschall
One of the best ways to activate these muscles is with heel lifts. Raising your heels creates an ankle extension engaging three muscles: the medial gastrocnemius, the lateral gastrocnemius and the soleus. Strengthening the gastrocnemius muscles is key to driving power when you sprint and jump, and the soleus muscle enables endurance.
